


You're The Sun (And I'm The Moon)

by starrywrite



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Best Friends, Fluff, M/M, Platonic Relationships, Queerplatonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-20 21:44:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4803320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrywrite/pseuds/starrywrite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Suddenly you’re in your 20’s and you’re screaming along in the car to all the songs you listened to when you were sad in middle school and high school.<br/>And everything is different.<br/>But everything is good.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're The Sun (And I'm The Moon)

**Author's Note:**

> i took a(nother) break from working on all things phandom big bang to write and post this!!! au!!! in which dan and phil did not meet in 2009 and instead have been bffls for much longer.
> 
> it’s not much, tbh, but it’s a very personal piece to me and very very soppy haha inspired by the most amazing person in my life and the greatest friendship i’ve ever had. also because about ten years ago today, i met my best friend in sixth grade and the two of us have been basically joined at the hip ever since. this is dedicated to her. 
> 
> hope you enjoy?? <3

Dan Howell is eleven years old, and his mum made him move _again_. It’s the first day of school and he’s the new kid, and no one wants to talk to the new kid. Especially not when everyone in his class already knows each other; they’ve all gotten together in little groups of predetermined friendship, crowding around desks with wide smiles. They chat about their holiday break, telling stories of their adventures and excitedly reminiscing on memories that they’ve shared together. “I’m so happy to see you again!” is squealed about five times, at five different octaves, by Dan’s count.

And then there’s Dan, sitting by himself in his assigned seat because he doesn’t know anyone and he’s too shy to speak to anyone. He feels as though he’s on the outside looking in, and it makes the anxious butterflies flying around in the pit of his tummy flap their wings harder and fly around faster. Maybe if he’s sick, he’ll get sent home and then he can try again to convince his mum to let him be homeschooled. 

The desks are facing each other, small sections of four desks making a square., and they’ve all got name tags on them so everyone knows where to sit. The nametag across from him says _Philip_. 

A tall man walks into the room, and Dan sits up a little straighter because he’s sure that the tall man is his new teacher. He watches him, curiously, as he heads over to a group of boys and starts to chat with them, and it isn’t until a woman walks into the classroom and stands at the front of the room, where she writes her name on the blackboard. Dan’s face flushes red; despite no one knowing that he foolishing thought that someone who was apparently one of his classmates and not a member of the school staff was his teacher, he still feels incredibly embarrassed. The tall man, who Dan realizes isn’t _actually_ a man, takes a seat in Philip’s seat. He and Dan make awkward eye contact, but neither of them say anything to each other. 

* * *

Dan Howell is eleven, and he has no friends. He sits by himself during lunch and reads _Harry Potter_ because at least when he’s reading, he can pretend that Harry, Ron, and Hermione are his friends and he isn’t as alone as he feels. This goes on for a few weeks, until the day one of his classmates - a girl called Harley - invites him to sit with her and her friends. She sits across from him in class, next to Phil. She’s quiet and has blonde hair and Dan liked her name because it reminded him of motorbikes. She walks up to him just as he’s reaching into his bag for his copy of _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_ and asks him if he’d like to sit with her. Dan takes her up on her offer without hesitation - it’s not like people are lining up to have him sit with them anyway - and he joins her at her table. 

She’s sat with a small group of friends, most of them are from his class but he hasn’t properly spoken to any of them. Groups of people made Dan nervous, especially groups of people who were already friends. Once again, he felt like he was on the outside looking in. Harley introduces him to everyone, including Phil, who smiles at him and offers him some of his crisps. Dan sits down next to Phil, instantly feeling much more relaxed and welcomed. 

That had been the start of it all. Whether it was because of Harley or the bag of crisps, that was the day he and Phil had started talking, and a friendship was born. The two of them found that they actually had a lot in common - they liked a lot of the same music and television shows and movies. For once, Dan is actually sad when lunch comes to an end because he wants to spend as much time as he can talking to Phil. It’s funny the way things work out, however, because after that day, Dan and Phil _don’t_ stop talking. Their friendship blossoms and they spend their evenings talking on the phone together, chatting over AIM, arranging weekend plans for sleepovers.

A few months later, Dan is invited to a birthday party. Phil is going as well, much to his excitement, and the two stay by each other’s side for almost the entire evening. The party is a bit strange, in all honesty; the group ends up at some weird church event that kind of resembles a yard sale, but inside. Dan and Phil roam around aimlessly, looking at stuffed animals and other things that manage to capture their attention. Dan is looking at the stuffed elephants when Phil comes walking up to him, giddy and gleefully asking him to stick out his hand. Hesitantly, Dan does, and much to his surprise, Phil places a a silver cross necklace that Dan had his eye on earlier in the night, in his palm.

Phil had gotten him a present. Phil, who had only known him for a short amount of time, got him a _present_. Dan is speechless to say the least, his heart beginning to race as he looks at the necklace, then up at Phil, then back down to the necklace again.

“Are you sure?” he asks, half expecting Phil to change his mind about buying him a present and take it back to return it.

“Of course!” he replies cheerfully. “What are friends for?” he asks, and Dan smiles wider than ever. He puts the necklace on and vows to never take it off. 

* * *

Dan Howell is thirteen years old, and he has a best friend. His name is Phil and he’s a bit dorky - he really likes Pokemon. And much taller than Dan is but Dan is pretty sure he’ll grow up and be just as tall as he is (spoiler alert: that doesn’t happen). And his favorite color is green, and sometimes he wears glasses, and he’s Dan’s very best friend in the whole world. 

They talk on the phone nightly - both of their mums can hardly make phone calls anymore because the two of them completely monopolize the phone lines - and send each other messages over Myspace (then Facebook, then the two of them both get cell phones and use all of their data texting each other). They stay over each other’s houses so often, their parents joke about sending each other child support. They basically become members of each other’s families; they list each other as ‘brothers’ on Facebook, Phil’s relatives often ask about how Dan is doing when he goes to visit them and Dan’s brother _adores_ Phil. 

Dan feels so lucky that Phil is his best friend. Phil is the easiest person to talk to, and they have so much in common, and whenever they’re together they always have so much fun. And Dan is always happiest when he’s with Phil because Phil is like sunshine embodied in a human and Dan just can’t help but to be happy whenever he’s with him, and Phil brings out the best in Dan in ways that he doesn’t even realize. 

* * *

Dan Howell is fifteen years old, and he and Phil have fallen in love with a band. They aren’t an entirely popular band, the fanbase is rather small the two of them come to realize when they join Tumblr. And none of their other friends give a shit about them, so all Dan and Phil really have are each other when it comes to talking about them and listening to them. But they love this band with all of their heart and falling in love with them has proven to be the greatest thing to ever happen.

It starts with a CD signing; they meet the band, after camping out for fucking hours and Dan sleeps on a sidewalk at one point and that’s before even getting inside of the store to wait in line even _longer_. And when it’s finally time, they’re both awkward because they’ve never met anymore remotely famous before, and they both struggle to make eye contact with the members as they shift awkwardly across a long table and get their CD covers signed. It’s a brief experience, it only lasts a few minutes in total, and afterwards they run out into the store carpark to _scream_ in excitement, smacking each other because they can’t believe this has happened and they can’t believe that they actually met their favorite band. 

After that, there are concerts - a lot of concerts - and they stay up all night making posters (Phil’s has lights on his), and they wait in line for hours to be as close to front row as possible, and they travel to different cities for some shows, and stay at really cheap hotels, and they do it all together. Every concert, every meet and greet, everything having to do with this band they’ve experienced together - whether it was staying up all night on Tumblr, reblogging pictures of their faves, or getting together to listen to their newest album - and so many of these amazing moments will never be forgotten. 

* * *

Dan Howell just turned sixteen years old, and he just kissed a boy for the first time. It’s his birthday and all of his friends are holed up in his bedroom, the door shut and locked because they’re playing truth or dare. Dan’s parents are literally right outside and it feels so bad, but it’s exciting and Dan is a nervous wreck when it’s his turn and someone dares him and Phil to kiss. 

It’s not his first kiss, that happened a few months ago at the movies, but this kiss is by far better than that one. Maybe kissing boys is just more fun than kissing girls, he isn’t sure. But Phil’s lips are nice and soft, and he doesn’t feel butterflies in his stomach so just the _act_ of kissing is rather enjoyable. But Dan doesn’t really think much of it after this; sure he spends the majority of sixteen kissing his boy friends, and some of his girl friends too, and it’s all just for fun but for the most part it’s not something he thinks about too hard. It’s just shoved into the back of his mind for the next few years.

When he finally starts to address it, however, Phil is the first person he starts dropping hints around - “I don’t think I’m completely, one hundred percent straight” “I’m open to the idea of marrying a boy one day” - but Phil gets the picture without Dan really having to _say_ it, and truth be told, he isn’t surprised. Phil knows him better than he knows himself. 

“It’s alright, you know,” Phil tells him one night over the phone. “If you like boys and girls, or if you aren’t sure about that - hell, I’m barely sure about that stuff sometimes. But, you know, you’re still _Dan_. You’re always going to be _Dan_ and you’re always going to be _my_ Dan - who you’re attracted to isn’t going to change that.”

Phil didn’t even have to say it, because Dan already knew all of that, but hearing that sort of reassurance and validation is just so fucking nice. And Dan knows that no matter who he dates, Phil will always be his number one. 

* * *

Dan Howell is sixteen years old, and he can’t stop listening to _Drown The City_ as loud as his iPod will allow him to. Because he loves a boy who will never love him back. Because he just wants to be cool and he’s not. Because he’s trying so hard to be someone he isn’t. Because he’s a teenager and life fucking sucks and it feels like everything around him is crumbling, and the only good thing he has in his life is his best friend. 

Phil just _gets_ him; he understands why it hurts so much when Dan can’t even put it into words. He doesn’t dismiss his distress over not being loved back or anger towards his parents or brother, Phil doesn’t belittle his problems or make him feel bad for being upset over something so minor. Here’s just _there_ and he _listens_ and he _understands_. And sometimes Phil gets upset to, and Dan gets a chance to be there for him, and the two of them cry together and scream about their frustrations over the phone together for hours, and Phil doesn’t hesitate to call if he suspects something is wrong. 

The two of them spend sixteen - and the following years to come - listening to loud music, and wearing eyeliner akin to Pete Wentz, and Phil back combs his hair, and Dan wears brightly colored jeans and band tshirts all the time. They go to gigs together and drink Monster Energy Drinks like they’re going out of style, and they know one day they’re going to look back on all of these photos and memories and cringe because what were they thinking? But in the moment, it’s all that matters. And it’s who they are. And nothing could be more perfect than screamo music and band tshirts and eyeliner. 

* * *

Dan Howell is twenty-one years old, and he’s happy. He’s so fucking happy. It’s a warm summer night, and he and Phil are driving around together with the windows down, the wind messing up their hair. They don’t have much of a destination in mind, they’ve stopped at a shop about an hour ago but since then they’ve just been driving around aimlessly. Phil found his iPod nano from high school a few weeks ago and it’s fully charged and the two of them are currently listening to every song they used to listen to when they were teenagers. 

They take turns groaning at some of the old songs they used to love because it’s nothing like their music taste now, and practically crying with laughing at some of the memories that resurface when certain songs start to play. Almost every song starts with “Remember that time when we,” and they manage to go through nearly ten years worth of memories together.

_Drown The City_ starts to play, and both he and Phil groan because neither of them can believe that they actually listened to and enjoyed this song. But even after all these years, they both still know the words and they scream them at the top of their lungs. And Dan laughs as he sings because he’s so filled with euphoria in this moment. He can’t believe a song he used to listen to when he was so upset and miserable is making him laugh. 

It’s been years since he last listened to that song, and there’s been such a change in emotion since the last time he listened to it. Because when he was sixteen he never thought he’d be happy and he thought the whole world was against him and that no one understood him, and now he knows better. He knows he can be happy - he _deserves_ happiness - and he knows that even on his worst days, the world isn’t out to get him and there is someone who understands him: Phil. 

In a few months, he and Phil will have been best friends for ten years. For as long as the two of them could remember, people told them that their friendship wouldn’t last, that _they_ wouldn’t last. But what people didn’t understand is that they’re Dan and Phil, and they’re unbreakable. 

He looks over at Phil and watches him for a moment as he drives, and he smiles. The wind whips his hair back and he’s singing at the top of his lungs - a bit off key, if Dan’s being honest - and he just looks so happy, and Dan is just so happy. He never doubted that almost ten years later, Phil would still be by his side. Sure, they’ve had some ups and downs, a fight here and there, some “let’s just agree to disagree” moments. They’re both a bit stubborn when they want to be, and Phil doesn’t always listen to reason, and Dan gets sad and shuts down. But they’re Dan and Phil, and they’re unbreakable. 

Dan smiles, his eyes still on Phil. He’s just so full of love for his man, constantly in all honesty, but right now it’s just become more heightened. He’s never had a friend as amazing as Phil, he’s never had someone who loves him and cares about him as much as Phil does. And he has no idea how the hell he got so lucky to have someone like Phil in his life, but whatever he did he‘s glad he did it because there is no one else in the world that he’d rather want as his best friend. And he knows the two of them are only headed up from here. 

“Hey,” he says, raising his voice slightly over the music and the wind. “I love you,” he says because he can never say it enough and it will never not be true.

Phil’s cheeks flush a little but he says, “I love you too,” without hesitation and Dan reaches over to grab his hand over the steering wheel and give it a squeeze. They’re not the same people they were when they were eleven, or thirteen, or sixteen, or hell even twenty. And in a few months, they won’t be the same people either. They’re constantly changing, as humans are that’s a fact. But the one thing that will never change is their friendship. That’s a fact. 

Another song that he and Phil used to cry to when they were sixteen starts to play, and the two twenty-one year olds sing all of the words as loud as they can, with the widest smiles on their faces.


End file.
